According to NHS Digital, the health service has saved £130m in the past three years as a result of the service.

NHS Digital said using electronic rather than paper prescriptions saves GP practices ‘a significant amount of time’ by not having to find or reprint lost paper prescriptions or waiting for a GP to sign urgent paper prescriptions.

EPS also enables GPs to authorise a group of repeat prescriptions for up to 12 months.

Dr Farzana Hussain, a GP at The Project surgery in Plaistow, East London said the service saves time ‘as I no longer have to print off prescriptions’.

He added: ’This also makes it easier for me to work remotely and send prescriptions when I’m not in the surgery.’

Anwar Hussain, practice manager at St Paul’s Way Medical Centre in East London said: 'Clinicians have the ability to review EPS on screen quicker and make the process more efficient. Reception staff no longer need to sort through prescriptions and paper that has gone missing.

‘Patients have more choice of where they can go and collect their prescription and can nominate up to three pharmacies.'